Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) and Derivatives Released

HotHardware guest post by: Jesse Litton

The new version of the most popular desktop Linux distribution
(according to DistroWatch
statistics) is now available, and as always: completely free to use,
redistribute, fold, spindle, and mutilate. The announcement e-mail can
be found
here.

Gwibber
has been updated to support the recent change in Twitter's
authentication system, as well as changing the back end storage to
improve performance.

The Sound Indicator has been enhanced to include
music player controls.

The Ubuntu Software Center has an updated look
and feel, including the new "Featured" and "What's New" views for
showcasing applications, an improved package description view, and a
"For Purchase" software category has been added. You can also now
easily access your package installation history too.

Ubuntu One: Polished desktop
integration with new sign up and sign in process. Tighter
integration with Ubuntu SSO. Nautilus enhancements for managing
folder sync preferences. Faster file sync speed. Share links to
music within the Ubuntu One Music Store.

The latest KDE Software. KDE
Platform, Workspaces and Applications have been updated to
version 4.5.1.

The Desktop and Netbook images have been
merged into a single image featuring both the Plasma
Desktop and Plasma Netbook workspaces. The appropriate
workspace for your machine will be launched at login, you
can also change the workspace in System Settings.

Plasma Netbook now sports the Global Menu
by default.

The new KDE bluetooth application
collection Bluedevil is now installed by default.

Pulseaudio
is the default sound server to match other Ubuntu
variants.

KPackageKit updates bring a faster
backend and an updated UI that provides a new Categories
page, and new features such as a backup/restore tool for
the list of installed packages.

Kubuntu's installer (Ubiquity) now has an
updated look and layout. Install starts after partitioning
making it a quicker experience.

Qapt-batch now replaces install-package
as the update/batch-installer utility

In addition to all the sames changes as
Ubuntu, Edubuntu now includes Gnome Nanny. Gnome Nanny
provides parental controls in Edubuntu. There is new
wallpaper included ( periodic table breakout). Also, OEM
Install mode is now available.

For those looking to give Ubuntu a try, you can download
and run the OS via the LiveCD without installing or writing
anything to your hard drive. Should you decide to install, the
LiveCD's installer application will allow you to resize any existing
OS partitions and install into the freed space - allowing you the
option to reboot back into your previous OS at any time. (Remember
to backup your system first! Better safe than sorry!)

While I highly recommend the Kubuntu
variant, each of the related distributions are worthy of
investigation. If you're totally confused about the differences,
as is the lot of anyone new to Linux, here's a simple and
completely over-generalized system for you to follow:

Think of Ubuntu
with its Gnome desktop (powered by the GTK+ libraries) like a
Mac: more intuitive and clean, with fewer options to confuse.

Think of Kubuntu with its KDE desktop
(running on the Qt libraries) like a Windows machine: more
options, but possibly less intuitive to new users.

Meanwhile, Xubuntu uses the XFCE
desktop, which has a lighter footprint and may perform better on
older or very limited hardware.

And finally, Edubuntu is a version similar to
mainstream Ubuntu, but aimed towards educational institutions.

If you're still unsure of which desktop would be best for you,
don't fret about it too much: Nothing prevents you from
installing multiple desktops, and any Linux application can be run
on any desktop, regardless of the underlying libraries they use.